Latch-shaft-fastening means



April 14, 1931- w. c. DEVEREAUX 1,800,818

LATCH SHAFT FASTENING MEANS- Filed Sept. 29, 1926 A? E a .1

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Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED s'rrssraren'r GFFICE WILLIAM C. DEVEREAUX, GP DETBOiT, MICHIGAN LATCH-SHfiFT-FASTENING MEANS Application filed September 29, 1926. Serial No. 138,384.

This invention relates to means for taste ing the shafts of latches for vehicle doors, etc, and has for its principal object the pro vision 01 simple means for reinovably secur- "5 ing latch shafts to turnable portions of the Latches without use of screws, bolt or the like.

Another object of my invention is the arrangement of a latch shaft carrying latching means whereby it may be secured to the hub of the actuating cam of the latch by merely inserting the shaft into the aperture of the hub.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a latch shaft carried by the latch 5 handle, a portion of the latch shaft being surrounded by an ornate spacer tubeadapted to slidably fit within a centrally apertured escut-cheon plate carried by the vehicle door, whereby substantially the same appearance 570 of door handle and adjacent parts is secured despite dilierentthicknesses of vehicle doors. There is a commercial tolerance in automobile body building whereby the thickness of doors intended for the same model cars, may vary as much as one-eighth of an inch. l Vith my improved latch shaft assembly it is possible to utilize the same latch shaft with doors varying the permissible limit and yet obtain substantially the same appearance adjacent the latch handle, the spacer tube mere ly extending within the es cutcheon plate for different distances. L A further object of my' invention is the provision of a latch shaft assembly for vehicle doors and the like whereby theusual escutcheon plate secured to thevehicle doorby screws or like fastening means is eliminated. Heretoitore the bodyescutcheon plate has been assembled withtwo screws passing through the escutcheon plate into the panel of the door. With covered wood doors it has been necessary to maintain sufficient wood adjacent the latch shaft to provide security for the screws, and with all-steeldoors it has been necessary to weld a tapping plate to the body panel to accommodate the escutcheon plate screws; Thewelding of the tapping plate to the panel, cleaning ofi weld marks on the body panel preparatory to the finish and i the time required to assemble the'escutcheon plate, latch shaft and handle, are all expensive, and these costs are eliminated by my newconstruction. Moreover, in the assembly of the old type escutcheon plate attached by screws the escutcheon plate was fitted so tight upon the vehicle door that often the finish was cracked by the edges of the escutcheonplatel Such mar-ring of the finish has been especially prevalent since 21111201110 bile bodies have been finished in Duco or similar lacquer finishes. My improved latch shaft assembly obviates these objections to the old escutcheon plate arrangement. Again, there is an advantage in appearance inmy improved door handle assembly over the old type of screw-on escutcheon plate, as no means of security such as screws is Visible.

Other objectsand advantages will be apparent from the following description,

throughthe latch casing, the hub of the actuating cam of the latch and the adjacent portion of my improved'latch shaft with a tool holding the latch pin of the latch shaft in retractedposition, and

Figs. land are detailse'ctional views through the latch casing, hub of the actuating cam of the latch and adjacent portions of the latch shaft, the latch shaft being secured to the hub by slightly modified arrangements otlatching means. l a 5 Referring nowto the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a portion of a vehicle is a horizontal sectional view:

door and 6 a latch casing adapted to be securedto the door by means of screws 7 or like fastening means. The latch casing 6 carries a slidable latch bolt 8 having a portion normally extendedbeyond the latch casing by means of a spring 9 or the like. The extended portion of the latch bolt 8'is adapted to engage a striker plate (not shown) carried by the door jamb. The latch bolt 8 is adapted to be withdrawn to free its extended portion from engagement with the striker plate by means of an actuating cam 10 mounted in the latch casing and engaging an offset arm 11 carried by the latch bolt. The actuating cam 10 is adapted to be rotated by a latch shaft 12 carried by thedoor handle 13 which is usually arranged on the outer side of the vehicle door. In addition a vertical spindle l lmay be arranged with its handle 15 adjacent the inner side of the vehicle door to enable the ready unlatching of the door'by persons within the vehicle. As herein shown the spindle 14 is provided with a cranlr portion 1 1 adapted to contact a shoulder 8 on the latch bolt, a light spring 16 being "arranged to normally urge the crankportion of the spindle awayfrom the shoulder 8.

The parts above described may vary in many particulars and are intended .to show one embodiment of veh'icledoor and l'a-tch with whichmy improved latch shaft and door handle assembly is useful; The illustrations of the above described parts are merely for purposes of exemplification, and it isto be understood that the claimed invention herein is adaptable for use with other forms of latches, etc.

a My improved latch shaft is formed witha bore 12 extending partway through the latch shaft and preferably obliquely arranged relatively to the side faces of the latch shaft. Within the bore 12 is arranged a light spring 17 and a latching pin 18, the spring being adapted to abut against the inner extremity of the'latching pin and the bottom wall of the bore 12 After the latching "pin 18 has been inserted within the bore 12 the diam-' eter of the outer extremity of'the bore is reduced as by peening'the surface of the latch shaft adjacent the bore,-so that a stop is provided for the outward movement oft'he latch pin because of the pressure of the spring 17 and to preventthe latching pin from accidentally flying-out of the bore. The latchpin 18 is preferably provided with a curved outer extremity and the stop for the latch pin is preferably so arranged that a sufficient portion of. the latch pi-n normally extends beyond the side face of the latch shaft to permit the entrance of the extended portion of the latch pin into the latchin-gaperture 19 in the hub 10 of the actuating cam 10 when the extended portion of the-latching pin is in alignment with the aperture 19. "Byvirtue of this construction the latch shaft 12 may be secured to the hub 10 'of-the actuating cam 1Uby=merely=insertingjthe latchshaftth'r'ough the aperture 20 in the door 5 and into the hub of the cam until the latching pin 18 snaps into the latching aperture 19 0f the cam. As

the latch bolt is being inserted the latch pin is depressed by engagement with that portion of the hub 10 in advance of the latching aperture 19, the'curved surface of-the extending portion of the latching pin servingto readily permit the depression of the latching 7 pin upon engagement with the hub. To guide the latch shaft 12 into the central aperture of the hub 10* as well asxto aid in the depression of the latching pin '18 during the insertion of the latch shaft the forward portion of the cam is preferablyv provided with a cir-' .cular groove 10b having ani-nclined rearwall leading into the central aperture of thefhub 10 of the cam.- Afterthe latch shaft. has been inserted into the central apertureof the cam 10 and latching pin snaps intol'the latching aperture 19 in the cam-oscillationof the latch shaft in the proper direction will serve to turn the camlO to retract the latchbolt to v withdraw its extendedpoition out of engagement. with the striker plate. Then upon reture of the cam is preferably made of the same shape as'the latch shaft,;as for-example,

square in cross section '(note Fig. .1). When it is desired to remove the latch shaft 12 from'the cam 10 is it, necessary to, first retract the latching pin 18 from itsposition.

within the latching-aperture 19 ofth'e cam.-

. This may be accomplished by inserting-atool 21 through anaperture 22 inthe latch casing 6 arranged in alignment with thelatching aperture19 (note-Fig. 3) and through the latching aperture19 into engagement with the latchingpin 18. Sufficient pressure upon -thetool' 21 will force the latching in within vthe bore 12 against thetcnsion o the light spring '17, whereupon the latch shaft 1 2 may be withdrawn from the central aperture of Q theihub 10 of the cam-- V From the above it willflbe apparent that i the latch shaft 12 may be quickly fastened within the hub 10" of the cam withoutthe 7 use ofv screws, bolts or like fastening, means,

and maybe as readily removed therefrom.

r A spaceritube23 is preferablysecuredJto the handle 13 and surroundsthe portioirof the latch'shaft 12 adjacent the'hand'le. The spacer tube 23 may be variously shaped for ornamental Purposes audits outer surface may be nickeled or otherwise finished to :con-

form with the decorative finish of-the vehicle.

with which it i si'used. The rear portion of the which escu-t'cheon plate may beef 'varicus spacer tube--23 extends withirn an' escutc'heon plate. 24, substantially :as shownfi in Fig; 2,

latch spindle adapted to enter said central aperture, said latch spindle having an obliquely disposed boretherein, a spring arranged in the bore and a latching pin slidable in the bore and adaptedto project beyond the side'face of the latch spindle into said latching'aperture, and to retain itself and the spindle in the position thereby determined by engagement of a slanting surfaceof the latching pin against the side of the latching aperture.

5. The combination with a door having an elongat'edpassage therethrough, a'latch casing secured upon the door and having an actuating cam provided with a central aperture arranged in allgnment with said elongated passage, and a latching aperture opening into said central aperture, a latch spindle extending through said passage and into the central aperture of'said cam, said latch' spindle carrying an obliquely disposed springpresser latching pin adapted toenter said latching aperture of the cam and to retain itself and the spindle in the position thereby determined by engagement of a slanting sur-'; face ofthe latching pin against the side of the latching aperture. e

6. The combination with a door having an elongated passage therethrough, a. latch cas-.

:. ing secured upon the door and having an actuating camprovided with polygonal central aperture arranged 1n alignment with said elongated passage, and a latching aperture angularly disposed to and opening into said central aperture, a latch spindle having a polygonal portion extending'through said passage and into the central aperture of said cam, said latch spindle carrying a springpressed latching pin arranged obliquely with relation to thesides of the shaft and adapted to enter said latching aperture ofthecam, and to retain itself and the spindle in the position thereby determined by engagement of a slanting surface of the latchingpin"against the side of the latching aperture. 1

7. The combination with a. door having an elongated passage therethrough, a latch case ing secured upon the door and having an actuating camiprovided with a central aperture arranged in alignment with said elongated passage and alat'ch ng aperture opening into said-central aperture, a latch spindle extending through said passage and into the central aperture of sa1d:cam,*sa1d latch spindle carrying a spring-pressed latching pin adapted to enter said latching aperture of the cam, the actuating cam being provided with a flaring groove surrounding the central aperture for guiding the latch spindle and latching pin during the insertion thereof into the cam. v r

V 8. The combination-with adoor having an elongated passage therethrough, a latch casing secured upon-the door and having anactuiat'ing cam providediwi-th a: central aperture arranged in alignment with said elongated r passage, and a latching aperture opening into said central aperture, a latch spindle extending through said passage and into the central aperture of said ca-m said latch spindle carrying a spring-pressed latching pin adapted to enter said latching aperture of the cam,the

latch spindle also carrying a handle and a spacer tube, and an escutcheon plate arranged between the handle and door and having a central aperture therein for thereceptionof a portion of said spacer tube. 7

'9. The combination with a 'doorrhaving an elongated passage theret'hrough, a latch casing'secured upon the door and having an actuating cam provided with acentral aperture arranged, in alignment with said elongated passage, and a latching aperture opening into said central aperture, a latch spindle extending through said passage and into the central aperture of said cam, said latch spindle carrying a spring-pressed latching pin adapted toe'nter said latching aperture of the cam,

the-latchsp'indlealso carrying a handle and a spacer tube, an escutcheon plate arranged between the handle andfdoor'and having a central'aperture therein for the reception of a portion of sa d spacer tube, and a spring arranged between the escutcheon plate and spacer tube for holding the escutcheon plate '2.

against the door and exert pressure upon the latch spindleto maintain the latching pin in engagementwith'thewall ofsaid latching aperture nearestthe handle,

10. The combination with a door having-an elongated passage therethrough, a latch casof the cam,'the la-tch spindle also carrying a handle and a spacer tube, an escutcheon plate arranged between the handle and door and having a central aperture therein for the receptionof a portion of said spacer' tube, a spring surrounding the latch spindle and adapted to press the escutcheon plate into engagement with the door, and a washer surrounding the latch spindle and arranged between said'spring and spacer tuber Inwi-tnessWhereofI hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM C. 'DEVEREAUX. 

